Stringed Love
by Sutcliff23
Summary: William T. Spears. A respected reaper. Len Keinz, the great neice of Drossel Keinz and shunned doll maker. By a chance of fate (really a psycho doll) their paths cross. William T. Spears/OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Where Our Story Begins

Len sighed as she made her way through town. She could feel the towns eyes on her back as she made her way to her shop. She ducked her head and clutched the bag of supplies in her hands tighter while rounding the corner.

"Freak," some one muttered as she walked passed.

Len ignored the remarks and pulled her shop key out of her pocket as she took the stairs two at a time to her shop. She unlocked the door and went inside. She set the bag of supplies on the counter and took of her coat trading it for a apron to tie around her waist.

Humming softly under her breath she put the materials away and flipped the sign in the window from 'Closed' to 'Open'. The hours crawl by slowly as she waits for customers. Few people come it. Mostly children who taunt and tease until their parents scold them and send glares in Len's direction. By closing time she's made nearly a few hundred dollars. Its not much but its enough.

"At least I have my puppets," she murmurs making her way upstairs.

* * *

William yawns as he enters his office and goes to sit at his desk. He was never letting Ronald talking him into getting drinks ever again. Something catches his eye and he pauses.

There is a small puppet propped up in his chair. It looks old and worn. With brown frayed hair, glass blue eyes and almost tan wooden skin. Its dressed in black slacks and a simple blue cotton shirt with a pair of black work boots.

William narrowed his eyes and picked up the puppet by the scruff of its neck and made his way to the office of one red headed reaper.

"I thought I told you not to bring your little toys to work," William said thrusting the puppet in Grell's face.

The red head giggled and plucked the puppet from his fingers. "Oh how cute. Where ever did you find it?"

"You mean its not yours?" William asked.

"Nope," Grell answered straighten the puppets clothing. "I'd get it fixed though. Its pretty old." He hands William the puppet and stands up.

"I'd love to stay and chat but I've got a date with a To-Die list."

William accepted the puppet and the red head bounced out, his heels clicking on the tile floor.

He examined the puppet more closely and a slip of paper fell out of its pocket. "How odd," he said reaching down to pick it up. _Len's Marionette's, _they will know."

William goes back to his office and and puts the puppet on the shelf above the bookcase where it has a veiw point of the reapers office and William doesn't notice a feral grins begins to spread accross the ragged puppet's face.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Meeting For the First time

William sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "For the last time Grell. Stop messing around and get the soul already," he ordered.

The red head pouted. "But that's no fun," he replied.

William narrowed his eyes. "Do it now or I will demote you to the lowest possible level," he stated.

Grell squeaked and nodded. "Yes Will," he said revving up his chainsaw.

William waited for Grell to finish before crossing the last name off of the TO-DIE list and tucking it away into his pocket.

"Go back without me. There's something I need to take care of," he told him.

Grell nodded.

"And no stops along the way this time," William added.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Grell muttered as he walked away.

William rolled his eyes and pulled the puppet that was tucked into his jacket out of his coat pocket. He frowned at it face. _You weren't grinning before. _

He tucked the puppet away and began making his way to the shop. It was small, the shop, a little hole in the wall you could say. It had been repainted multiple times, and fixed up. A sign above the door read _Len's Marionette's _in faded silver ink.

William took the stairs to the door and stepped inside the shop a bell above the door jingling. He heard humming as he entered the shop. He jumped back as something bumped into his leg and he looked down to see a little doll bumping into his foot. He reached down and picked it up. It was beautifully crafted. Silver hair, a gold pleated dress with black shoes and amber eyes.

He followed the line of dolls as they began to make their way out of the room and stood in the doorway to a smaller room where a young girl was picking up the dolls and lining them on shelves.

William cleared his throat and she jumped startled.

"Hello," she said blushing embarrassingly as the dolls stopped moving.

William reached up and fixed his glasses looking her over. She had long dark brown hair that curled at the ends, steel violet eyes with light tan brown skin. She wore a long sleeve white blouse with a knee length black shirt and a pair of flats.

"I believe this was in my office. I have no idea how," William told her as he set the puppet on the counter.

"That's Neo. He isn't supposed to be out of his case," she frowned picking up the puppet. "What happened to his clothes?"

"He was like that when I found him," William answered. "You're Len Keinz aren't you?" he asked.

She nodded.

"You're the great niece of Drossel Keinz," he continued.

"Yes…" she answered turning to set the puppet down. "You're a shinigami aren't you?"

"Yes. How did you know?" he asked.

Len remained with her back to him. "You carry a death scythe," she answered placing more of the dolls on the shelf.

"Yes well. I'll be going now, do try to keep these things in check," William said as he turned to leave.

Len watched as he left and went back to the dolls.

"Neo, where did you go?" she asked looking around the room. "Where'd you go you little trouble maker?"

She turned at the sound of chuckling and found Neo sitting in the doorway. "There you are," she said picking him up. "Let's get you fixed up. I do not understand how you always get so dirty."

Len set him on the counter and winced as the doll pinched her finger. "Neo that's not nice," she scolded rubbing her thumb.

It gave her a cheeky smile. She shook her head and fixed his clothes before setting him on the shelf between two dolls.

"Now you be nice to Salean and Rosemary," she told him while blowing out the lamp.

Len locked the door behind her and went to bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Do Not Touch

Len yawned as she woke up the next morning and stretched. Humming to herself she got up and dressed before making her way to the kitchen.

"Good morning Neo," she greeted.

She paused and turned to eye the doll. "I put you away last night," she said picking him up. She wrinkled her nose at the wetness on her hand and saw blood coating her palm. "Neo…What did you do?"

Len stepped back as the puppet jumped out of her hand and made its way to the kitchen. She followed and covered her mouth to stiffen a gasp as she paled.

A young woman was propped against the cabinets. Her eyes and mouth were sewn shut, clothes torn from obvious struggle and her wrists and throat slashed. There was a pool of blood surrounding her and her head titled to the side.

She looked down to find Neo looking up at her shyly but expectantly. She sighed and knelt down before him.

"You have made quite the mess," she told him.

He frowned.

"Just…just sit here alright? Let me clean this up," she added.

She locked the kitchen door behind her as she stepped out tucking the key into her pocket as she stepped outside. She shivered slightly as she quickly made her way across the street to knock on the door.

"It's open," someone chuckled.

"Undertaker…I…I need a favor," she said stepping inside.

The silver haired man looked up. "Everything alright?" he asked.

She shook her head no. "He…he did it again…She's in the kitchen," she answered bowing her head.

"I'll take care of it," he told her.

"Oh thank you so much," she sighed relived.

They made their way back to the shop and slipped inside. Len bit her lip as she unlocked the kitchen doors. Neo sat on the floor where she left him.

Undertaker stepped into the kitchen. "I must admit. For a puppet he does have his precision," he chuckled.

"Please don't encourage him," Len sighed.

"Alright alright," Undertaker smiled. "You just go tend to your shop and I'll take care of the mess."

She nodded and closed the kitchen doors and turned to face the shop. "Right. Undertaker will take care of everything," she thought grabbing the broom and beginning to sweep.

* * *

William once again found himself outside of the marionette shop the following afternoon. For a social visit surprisingly. He reached up and adjusted his glasses before taking the stairs to the doors.

Two young children ran past him giggling and a snobbish looking woman following behind them.

He stepped into the shop and shut the door behind him. She wasn't around and time soon found him looking around the shop particularly the shelf with a set of dolls and a sign reading 'DO NOT TOUCH'.

Although he would never admit it, William T. Spears was a very curious man. He brought his hand up to touch one of the dolls when someone cleared their throat.

"They bite you know."

William turned to find Len standing in the doorway. The puppet from the night before in her hands. "It's why I have the sign."

"They bite?" he asked.

"They don't like people to much," she answered setting the puppet down.

He turned back to the dolls. "I'll take my chances."

She shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. He turned his attention back to the dolls. He once again reached out and ran his fingers over the dolls cheek.

"These are excellently crafted. Did you make them yourself?" he asked turning towards her.

He winced as he felt a pair of sharp teeth clamp themselves down on his fingers. He blushed embarrassed. "Ah…I seem to require some assistance."

Len covered a snicker with a cough as she made her way over. "I tried to tell you."

"Yes well…" William cleared his throat as Len coaxed the dolls mouth open.

"Thank you…" he nodded.

"I'd be bad shop owner if someone got hurt," she replied.

The two remained silent until Will realized she was still holding onto his hand. "Ah, I need that back," he said.

She blushed and dropped his hand. "S…sorry," she wrapped her arms around herself. "What brought you here?"

"I wanted to buy something," he answered.

"Really?" she asked surprised.

He nodded. "I have a Christmas office party coming up and I was hoping you could make some personalized puppets for me."

She smiled. "That is my specialty. Do you have a picture?"

"Sadly," he answered.

"Why sadly?" she asked.

"It's for identification purposes…" He answered.

"You mean if they get killed?" she asked frowning.

"Yes and there are too many close calls," he replied handing her a picture.

"This will do just fine. I'll have them done by Christmas eve," she smiled.

"Thank you. I appreciate this," he told her.

Len blushed. "It's no big deal."

William looked at his watch. "I have to go. Work never rests for a shinigami. May I come by again soon?"

Len looked at him surprised. "O...of…c...course," she stammered. "I…f if you want to."

"I would like that," William replied reaching up to fix his glasses.

Her blush grew. "I…I would to."

He bid her good afternoon before leaving, in a very good mood.

* * *

William stepped into his apartment and turned on the light.

"What in hells name…"

His apartment, the clean pristine look of his apartment was destroyed. The couch was overturned. Coffee table split in two. Curtains torn to shreds. Glass broken.

He picked his way through the mess and found a note lying on the counter and in scrawled handwriting were the words, '_Stay away from Len Keinz or you'll meet the same fate.' _He looked at the picture attached and his gut churned.

A young man was stripped from the waist up with whip marks on his chest, eyes and mouth sewn shut, gagged and throat slashed.

He tore up the letter and the picture and threw them into the fireplace.


End file.
